Manifold writing device



June 4, 1935. H. D. BLACK ET AL ,0

MANIFOLD WRITING DEVICE Filed 05:. 2, 1934 H 2 A m 12 46/ J 13 lB 7 "4 wq 4 E mxn Horace 0. 8/2701"; C/vnlsfop/ver if" W666 Patented June 4,1935 FICE MANIFOLD WRITING DEVICE Horace Drummond Black, Uxbridge, andChristopher Frederick Webb, Eastcote, England, as-

signors to Bell Punch don, England Company Limited, Lon- ApplicationOctober 2, 1934, Serial No. 746,553

In Great Britain October 11, 1933 10 Claims. (01. 28216 This inventionconcems-improvements' in or relating to manifold writing devices of' thekind employed for issuing forms such as tickets, bills, receipts or thelike upon which certain data can be inscribed before issue by theoperator of the device, a copy of the inscribed matter being recorded onone or 'a plurality of duplicate forms between each of which and theuppermost the medium of the form issued-from the device.

The device comprises a casing for holding a supply of forms andduplicates, and also the necessary feed mechanism for ejecting the formsfrom the device. An aperture is provided in the casing below which awriting platform is provided over which the forms are arranged to extendprior to the issue thereof from the device and the platform enables thenecessary data to be inscribed on the uppermost form through the saidaperture in the casing. When the data has been inscribed, the form andperhaps also one or more of the copies thereof are issued from thedevice by means of the feed mechanism actuated by an operator.

In practice it has been found that should the feed mechanism be operatedwhilst any pressure is being imparted to the platform, for example, bythe point of a pencil or by the operator's finger pressing upon thesuperimposed form, the movement of the forms may be impeded to such anextent that the forms become jambed or torn in the device and render itinoperable. Again the ejection of the'form from the machine may beobstructed accidentally or otherwise and continued operation of themachine jambs the form and renders the machine inoperable.

The object of the present invention is to obviate the abovedisadvantages and to this end a device of the kind referred to isprovided with means responsive to pressure imparted to the forms thereinor the platform thereof and operable upon such response to render thefeed mechanism inoperable.

The invention further comprises a device of the kind referred to whereina yieldingly displaceable member having a normal position and over whichthe forms are arranged to extend, is so located that pressure impartedthereto causes a displacement of the said member and thereby actuates alocking device for the feed mechanism to maintain the said mechanismlocked against operation only so long as the said member is displaced. V

Preferably the invention is carried into effect by mounting the platformwhich supports the forms below the opening in the casing, in

a yielding displaceable manner and providing an operative connectionbetween the platform and a locking pawl in such a manner thatdisplacement of the platform by pressure causes the pawl to move intothe path of a movable element, such as teeth of a gear wheel, of thefeed mechanism and so prevent the said mechanism from being actuateduntil the pressure on the platform is released and the pawl therebywithdrawn from the locking position. i

In order that the invention may be fully understood, reference isdirected to the accompany ing diagrammatic drawing, in 'which:

Figure 1 illustrates a portion of a manifold writing device. embodyingthe invention, in sectional side elevation, only those parts of thedevice being shown as are necessary to illustrate the invention, and

Figure 2 is a sectional view on the lines 2-2 of Figure 1.

Referring to the drawing, the device comprises a casing l within a lowerportion of which (not shown) is stored a supply of forms and duplicates.The forms, indicated at I extend together over a feed drum 3, thencebelow an opening! formed in the upper wall of the casing and at leastone of the lower forms extends over a guide roller 5 and thence onto awinding drum 6' for record' purposes. The uppermost and perhaps one ormore of the underlying forms are arranged to be ejected through a slot 1in the casing l as indicated at 8. The drums 3 and 6 and the roller 5 vare connected in driving relationship with one another by gearing 9 andform part of a feed mechanism for ejecting the forms, the remainder ofthe mechanism not being shown as it is unnecessary for enabling thepresent invention to be understood. Beneath the opening 4 a supportingplatform I0 is provided over which the forms are arranged to extend andwhich provides the rigid surface necessary to enable data to' beinscribed upon the uppermost form through the opening 4 and therecording of such data on the duplicates. The platform I0 is hingedlymounted along one side at l I, Figure 2, to the casing I and at a pointadjacent to its free end bears upon a small button-likeprojection I!provided upon a lever l3 which is hinged at H to the casing l at a pointadjacent the button l2. The free end of the lever I3 is arranged to bearagainst a locking pawl l5 located below the lever and which is pivotallyconnected at It to the casing I. The nose of the pawl I5 is disposedadjacent to the teeth 9a of the gear wheel of the feed drum 3 and isnormally maintained out of engagement therewith by a yielding control inthe form of a small spiral spring l'l connected between the pawl and thecasing. A stop l8, Figure '2, can be provided to limit the upwardmovement of the platform I0 and therefore of the lever l3 and the pawlI5 By the described arrangement it will be appreciated that any downwarddisplacement of the platform is highly magnified by the lever l3 andpawl l5 so that an extremely small displacement is suincient to bringthe nose of the pawl [5 into the locking position with respect to theteeth 9a of the gear wheel of the feeddrum and thus lock the said drumand the feed mechanism against operation. The spring I! can be of astrength such that the device gives an extremely sensitive response toany pressure applied to the platform and thus prevents any actuation ofthe feed mechanism when pressure is applied to the forms which wouldotherwise cause the said forms to become jambed or torn in the deviceand render it inoperative; as soon as the pressure is removed the spring11 immediately restores the locking pawl and the platform in to thenormal position in which it leaves the feed mechanism free to beoperated.

It will be appreciated that in the event of ejection of a formbeing'obstructed, such form will buckle in its path over the writingplatform and this fact will cause pressure upon the platform thuspreventing further operation and consequent irretrievable jambing of themachine.

What we claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the UnitedStates is: I V

1. In a manifold writing device comprising a casing and feed mechanismfor feeding a plurality of forms and ejecting at least one formtherefrom and an opening in said casing presenting an exposed portion ofat least one of said forms, the provision of means responsive topressure imparted through the forms and, operable upon such response torender the feed mechanism for ejecting the forms inoperable.

2. In a manifold writing device comprising a casing and feed mechanismfor feeding a plurality of forms and ejecting at least one formtherefrom and an opening in said casing presenting an exposed surface ofone of said forms, the provision of means responsive to pressureimpartedthrough the forms and operable upon such response to render the feedmechanism for ejecting the forms inoperable'only for the duration ofsuch pressure.

3. In a manifold writing device comprising a casing and an openingtherein below which a writing platform is located and mechanism forfeeding a plurality of forms over said platform past said opening andfor ejecting at least one of said forms from the device, the provisionof means responsive to pressure imparted to said platform and operableupon such response to render the feed mechanism inoperable.

4. Ina manifold writing device comprising a casing and an openingtherein below which a writing platform is located and mechanism forfeeding a plurality of forms over said platform and for ejecting atleast one of said forms from the device, the provision of meansresponsive to pressure imparted to said platform and operableupon suchresponse to render the feed mechanism inoperable only for the durationof said pressure.

5. In a manifold writing device, the combination of a casing having anopening therein, a writing'platform yieldingly displaceable from normalposition by pressure applied thereto which is located below said openingand a feed mechanism operable to feed a plurality of forms over saidplatform past said opening and to eject at least one of said forms fromthe device, a locking device responsive to yielding displacements ofsaid platform from normal position and operable upon such response tolock said feed mechanism against operation.

6. In a manifold writing device, the combination of a casing having anopening therein, a writing platform yieldingly displaceable from normalposition by pressure applied thereto which is located below said openingand a feed mechanism operable to feed a plurality of forms over saidplatform past said opening and to eject at least one of said forms fromthe device, and a locking device responsive to yielding displacements ofsaid platform from normal position and operable upon such response tolock said feed mechanism against operation only so long as said platformis displaced.

7'. In a manifold writing device, the combination of a casing having anopening therein, a writing platform yieldingly displaceable from normalposition by pressure applied thereto which is located below said openingand a feed mechanism operable to feed a plurality of forms over saidplatform past said opening and to eject at least one of said forms fromthe device, and a locking. pawl operatively connected to said platformand operable to be moved by displacement of said platform from normalposition to lock the said feed mechanism against operation only duringsuch displacement.

8. In a manifold writing device, the combination of a casing having anopening therein, a writing platform yieldingly displaceable from normalposition by pressure thereto which is located tion only during saiddisplacement.

9. In a manifold writing device, the combination of a casing having anopening therein, a yieldingly displaceable writing platform located inga gear train, operable to feed a plurality of forms over said platformpast said opening and to eject at least one of said forms from thedevice, and a locking pawl operatively connected to said platform toengage with a tooth of said gear train to lock the feed mechanismagainst operation only during displacement of said platform.

10. In a manifold writ-ing device, the combination of a casing having anopening therein, a yieldingly displaceable writing platform locatedbelow said opening and a feed mechanism including a gear train, operableto feed a plurality of forms over said platform past said opening and toeject at least one of said forms from the de vice, and a locking pawloperatively connected to said platform by a magnifying lever mechanismand operable upon displacement of said platform to engage with a toothin said gear train to lock the feed mechanism against operation onlyduring the displacement of said platform.

HORACE DRUMMOND BLACK. CHRISTOPHER FREDERICK WEBB.

